Tomorrow morning Michelle Geyer and I will be making our first ever attempt at a triathlon (7 mile run/16.5 mile bike/5 mile kayak). Event starts at 9am.
We must complete two legs of the event (7 mile run and 16.5 mile bike) within a 3 hour window. My goal is to complete the 7 mile run by 1 1/2 hours (I’m more of a tortoise than a hare). My goal for the 16.5 mile cycling is to complete it in no more than 1 hour 15 minutes. Allowing 15 minutes for the transition from running to cycling.
I am doing this event not as a competition against anyone else but more as a personal accomplishment. I just want to finish the entire event.
Originally, I was concerned with the run portion of the event since it had been a good long while (over 2 1/2 years) since I had done any serious running. The Duathlon I participated in last year (2 mile run/15 mile bike/2 mile run) was tough on me. The fact I did not train for the run portion had a whole lot to do with the difficulty and extreme soreness afterwards. A 7 mile run is not something I could even begin to take lightly. So, this time I knew I needed to actually put some training time into running.
I found the 5K101 training podcast by Todd Lange and knew right away I had found the perfect training partner. I started out running with the 5K101 podcast and quickly graduated to the 10K101 podcast. 1 1/2 weeks before the triathlon I actually completed a 7 mile run in 1 hour, 29 minutes and 32 seconds. Talk about cutting it close. I then knew that I could handle the run. The next training test was to combo or stack two events. 4 days before the triathlon, Michelle and I went out for a 4 mile run and a 13 mile bike. I felt pretty good about that training, too. All in all, I was feeling confident about completing the triathlon within the time requirements.
Can I admit to now being nervous about the kayaking portion? With my slow running and cycling, I already know I’ll be left way behind everyone else. During our training I have felt comfortable kayaking with Michelle, but the idea of kayaking solo is a bit daunting. I have been told this is a calm portion of the river but for someone who has only kayaked 3 times calm could mean something entirely different to this newbie vs. someone who is a seasoned pro.
I am going to rely on my training and hope that the Good Lord will see to my safety. See you all on the flip side.